As any truly devoted Dexter fan knows, each season’s cast additions are a very big deal. Everyone wants to know who will play the baddie. Thankfully, fans of the Showtime series may not have to wait much longer.
Ray Stevenson (The Punisher) has signed on for a recurring role in the show’s seventh season. This will mark Stevenson’s return to television acting after spending the last few years acting for film. It’s not unfamiliar ground for Stevenson, who is perhaps best known for his role as Titus Pullo in HBO’s Rome.
According to TVLine, Stevenson will play a “high ranking member of an Eastern European crime ring who arrives in Miami determined to learn who killed one of his associates.”
The importance of Stevenson’s role has yet to be established, but many are speculating that he could be the new season’s main villain. Along with Ray Stevenson, Calista Flockhart has also confirmed that she will guest star in season 7.
This comes fresh off the heels of executive producer Manny Coto’s interview with IGN, in which he promised this season would change up the show’s typical formula.
We’re going to do it fresh,” Coto said. “We’re always trying to come up with new things. There may be a big bad, there may not be. Debra might be the big bad. We don’t know. Or Quinn. We try to change things up. This is all speculation of course. But I can tell you that next year will be a change up to the formula. And the ‘big bad’ may take a form that we’re not used to.”
Will this form be Ray Stevenson, or is he destined to be just another blood slide in Dexter’s collection? For now the producers and actors are keeping mum about any spoilers for the upcoming season. As for the cliffhanger of Deb and Dexter, we do know that we get a small glimpse into their life up to this point via flashbacks in the first episode entitled, “Are you…?”
Showtime has also announced that “Dexter” was renewed for two more seasons, season 7 and 8, each consisting of 12 episodes. They also revealed that an overlaying story arc would be present across both seasons.
Season 7 will see the return of the main cast including:
Dexter Morgan: Michael C. Hall
Debra Morgan: Jennifer Carpenter
Angel Batista: David Zayas
María LaGuerta: Lauren Vélez
Vince Masuka: C.S. Lee
Joey Quinn: Desmond Harrington
Harry Morgan: James Remar
Dexter will return for season 7 on September 30, 2012.
HBO recently premiered a new scene from the upcoming season 5 of their hit series, “True Blood.” The new scene features Sam (Sam Trammell) and Luna (Janina Gavankar).
Season 5 will include several new cast members such as Christopher Meloni, most know for working on “Law & Order: SVU.” Details on who his character will be has yet to be released. Also joining this season is Scott Foley as Patrick, one of Terry’s war buddies. Louis Herthum will join as JD, Alcide’s father and Kelly Overton will appear as Rikki, a werewolf curious about Marcus. It has also been revealed that Carolyn Hennesy will play Rosalyn Harris, a texas vampire thrown into the mix.
Alan Ball has cast the reoccurring role of Alexander Drew for the upcoming season 5, a Chancellor of the vaunted Vampire Authority.
“True Blood” is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris. The novels follows the world as the existence of vampires are revealed and the two groups of humanity struggle to co-exist around the world. The novels focus primarily on the town of Bon Temps, a small town in Louisiana and the life of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse.
I am pretty excited for the new season, it has been to long since I had “True Blood” in my life, I almost considered reading the series over winter break. You can watch the new scene below:
Season 5 of “True Blood” premieres on Sunday, June 10th.
Cartoon Network will premiere a new Batman animated series this year, and it will be unlike any of its predecessors. “Beware the Batman,” produced by Warner Bros. Animation, will be the first in the Dark Knight franchise to use CGI animation.
The series will also set itself apart in another way, according to ComingSoon. It will incorporate villains not previously featured in animated form.
The official description of the new series follows”
Crime-fighting vigilante Batman teams up with swordtress Katana and his gun-toting ex-secret agentbutler Alfred Pennyworth to face the criminal underworld led by the twisted Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad, King Kraken, and Magpie.
The new show will be executive produced by WBA’s Sam Register and produced by Batman Beyond’s Glen murakami and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated’s Mitch Watson.
IMDB has also reported that Kurtwood Smith from “That 70’s Show” has signed on to voice Commissioner Jim Gordon.
Despite the new format, this is not the first time the Caped Crusader has fought crime in animated form. There have been five other shows, beginning with the “New Adventures of Batman” (1977-1981), followed by “Batman: the Animated Series (1992-1995), the “New Batman Adventures” (1997-1999), “Batman Beyond” (1999-2001) and then “Batman” (2004-2008).
The beloved character of Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, has an even longer history in comic form, according to Comic Vine.
The character currently stars in six different comic titles, including Batman, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, Batman: the Dark Knight, Justice League and Justice League International.
Batman has also been the subject of numerous films, most recently director Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
Nolan’s highly anticipated final installment, the Dark Knight Rises, is due out July 20.
“Beware the Batman” will begin airing in early 2013.
You can watch the new teaser promo for the series below:
Eliza Dushku has been confirmed that she will provide the voice of She-Hulk in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., according to SuperHeroHype. The show will be an animated series, set to air on Disney XD early next year.
Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse) has had multiple voiceover roles in the past, including both cartoon and videogame work. Dushku’s videogame credits include 2011’s Fight Night Champion, 2009’s Wet and 2003’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds, among others.
She has also voiced comic book characters, including most recently Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman: Year One, released by Warner Bros. Aside from She-Hulk, the show will feature Hulk, Red Hulk, Skarr and A-Bomb, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb said at Comic-Con last summer.
Writer Paul Dini, who works on Disney XD’s animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, will also be working on Hulk, according to a release from Marvel.
Adrian Pasdar, who voices Iron Man on Ultimate Spider-Man, said he will be guest-starring as the character on Hulk as well.
She-Hulk is not a new addition to the Marvel Comics family. She was created in the 1970s in order to avoid CBS copywriting. They created their own She-Hulk character to capitalize on the popularity of the live-action Incredible Hulk series.
To stop this from happening, Marvel asked Stan Lee (Spider-Man) to write the first issue of a She-Hulk comic book series, according to Comic Vine.
According to the Marvel Database, the character he created was this:
“As the cousin of Bruce Banner, Jen Walters received her abilities when she had a transfusion of blood from her gamma-powered cousin. She usually has the ability to change into her She-Hulk form on demand, and usually retains her intellect after the change as well. She’s a strong character who tries to balance her life as a lawyer with her life as an Avenger and adventurer.”
The resulting series, the Sensational She-Hulk, launched in 1989, and it relied on comedy to sell issues.
“She-Hulk was jumping pages, tearing holes in the paper of the page to escape, and often yelling at the writer. The series was stand-alone, as in not part of the dozen or so crossovers with an X-Men or Spider-Man title. Remember when the X-Men were funny? She-Hulk was sort of like that… with more laughs.”
She-Hulk has been a member of several superhero teams as well over the years. She has been a part of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Heroes for Hire, the Defenders, Fantastic Force, and S.H.I.E.L.D. As a highly skilled lawyer, she has served as legal counsel to various superheroes on numerous occasions in addition to being a hero herself.
Few other details have been released about Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.
Rachel: WOOOOOT! Brienne of Tarth! One of my favorite characters. She’s like Sam, lovably earnest. She’s a lot savvier than Sam is though because she’s had a rougher time at life than him. Sure, Sam’s dad threatened to kill him if he didn’t go to the wall but at least his mommy loved him! Brienne is just a lady too big for the role she was born to. She’s basically what Arya wants to be when she grows up but without having her own Brienne of Tarth to look up to or pave the way. She’s dealing with a super misogynistic culture in which she is attempting to adopt a traditionally masculine role and she’s not doing it with witty quips and daddy’s blessing like Asha. However, Brienne IS taking charge of her own life. I think it’s really important that we see Brienne for the first time in an episode in which Cersei and Sansa are struggling with the hardships of being female in a patriarchal society. Brienne is a noble lady like Arya and Cersei and Asha. But rather than be married off in trade for land and loyalty to a husband that would surely not love her due to her lack of beauty she is forcing her way into a world that doesn’t want her there. She wants to be a lady knight. With Renly’s grant of the boon of Kingsguardship, she IS a lady knight! And that place on the king’s guard is for life and just like Jaime Lannister or a man of the Night’s Watch, means she can’t marry. It’s definitely a risky choice for her but Brienne is tough.
Brienne refuses to be a victim.
Rachel: What did you think of the Southerners we met this episode?
Elena: I loved getting another example of a way in which a woman can forge her own path and take some control of her future back from her family. I hadn’t realized the Kingsguard enabled her to piss on marriage, but that is awesome for her. Because, yeah, marriage is not for Brienne of Tarth. Not any marriage a man on Westeros would recognize, since she would never be willing to stay at home, sew, or wear a dress.
I was less impressed with Loras’s reaction. A, learn how to lose with grace you arrogant little shit. B, why on earth would you not want someone who can best you in the lists protecting your true love Renly? Brienne is basically having to out-knight the knights in order to be accepted as one of them, which means she is fucking awesome at what she does. And the best part is she’s not a man, so she can’t threaten Loras in a sexual way! I guess Loras feels like he’s got Renly’s peen on lockdown so he is worried about other things.
Speaking of Renly and his unstiffened peen…what was that with Loras’s sister? She is yet another example of a woman who wants power and is willing to get it through the men in her life. And she, unlike the other ladies we’ve met who are gaining power through marriage, is doing it of her own accord. I come to this conclusion based on the way she presents herself—she has sexualized herself, as if determined to be obvious that she fucked her way to the crown.
Now if only she looked more like Loras so she could fuck her way to an heir….
Elena: While we’re on about women as property, what’s going on with Tyrion’s agenda, and is Cersei cracking up?
Rachel: Unfortunately for Cersei, and as she has lamented before, being a woman in Westeros pretty much sucks. Even the Queen Regent of the western continent can’t even get what she wants when her brother takes it upon himself to marry her kid off to…well someone…in order to broker more power to their side. Power they should have already because well who else is ruling this joint? Except that’s not how it works. LIFE ISN’T FAIR, IS IT, CERSEI? Sometimes I feel bad for her. It’s funny that lots of fans are empathizing with Cersei’s frustration at her inability to keep Myrcella when they condemn Sansa for being mean to Shae. WHY DO YOU THINK CERSEI IS SO DAMN MEAN TO SANSA, YOU GUYS? Because sometimes you have to lash out at someone who can’t hurt you. (Even though Shae should be mocked openly and often for thinking her best lady of the night dress would be suitable for lady-maiding. Come ON, Tyrion…get her a real dress to work in, for the Seven’s sake!)
Elena: Or was that Shae’s rebellion? She seemed kind of pissed to be there, and she and Tyrion did have that argument about how she was not a weakness. Oh, honey, you don’t know his family, do you? Perhaps he sent her to Sansa just so she can learn about Cersei? Anyway.
Rachel: This episode was just FULL of women all living the same problems and dealing with them in different ways. Let’s go back to Margaery Tyrell. She got married off to her brother’s lover because if she births the next successor she could secure some more power for her family. Even if her husband is gay and she has to share him with her brother, Margaery is totally willing to do that. She’s most probably willing to do that because being a Queen is better than not being a Queen … but maybe Cersei would beg to differ. But then I would bet Shae would agree with Margaery. Or would she?
Tyrion by the by…is up to tricksy tricks ferreting out some of the more obvious roadblocks in court. He pissed off Littlefinger, sure, but he is a resource with too much potential value as an ally to totally throw away, so look for Tyrion to make it up to Littlefinger in the future. Pycell getting his whiskers hacked off by Bronn was epic. More whisker hacking! Maybe we can just hack off whiskers instead of heads from now on?
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Elena: Bronn! We also need more Bronn. That, too, would be nice.
Rachel:Were you sad for Theon and his father issues? His fake brother issues? His sister issues? What about his whiney baby issues?
Elena: My notes on the first look at Theon this episode: “Theon is not impressed with the Pike house.” Which is a joke because the Pikes are another frat, and Theon’s a Theta Chi. Yes? No? It was funny in my head.
Um, so Theon decides to be a Greyjoy. No good can come of this. “Everybody knows you never go full Greyjoy!”
I was conflicted about whether to judge him for his choice. Family is a huge part of the ethos in this world—“What do we always say is the most important thing? FAMILY!”—but on the other hand…he’s betraying Robb! And the Starks who even if they are all incompetent players are the team I’m rooting for until I meet someone better or they’re all dead. So, no bueno. Bad Theon.
He was put in an untenable situation, and I find it interesting that I don’t have much interest or sympathy in him as a character. He acted the over privileged lordling once too often in my company for me to care that he feels inadequate with his family. Guess what? If Robb Stark is able to lead a fucking army and argue down his bannermen at this age, Theon is old enough to not judge his own worth on the valuation of any other man…even his absentee dad. (Yes, I know, that’s not how daddy issues work, but the point is we have other characters who don’t have his hang-up that made him so manipulable, so I no longer find his daddy issues a valid excuse for what he does.)
But the drowned god bit was fucking cool, and I hope we get to hear a little more about that!
Elena: Theon chose blood over water, which is funny because of reasons ^^.
Rachel: The part of Theon’s brain that makes decisions must be a terrible hell. One, because he’s kind of a swaggering idiot a lot of the time. And two, because there’s some serious cognitive dissonance happening in the guy’s life. He was raised by these seemingly honorable people… except that they murdered his brothers and took him as a hostage. Being reminded of that by your estranged father – well you can’t really blame him for siding with his family and plotting to screw Robb over. I mean you can, but it’s easily understood how he was utterly sandbagged into “going full Greyjoy”. His only choices were betrayal and… oh betrayal! Theon might be one of the more tragic characters in Game of Thrones. The Fool who learns too late? We shall see.
Everyone loves bad ass pirates who steal all the stuff and laugh at everyone who underestimated them!
Elena: Yoren died. I haz a sad.
Rachel: Yes, while Yoren suffered from an acute case of Boromir-it is I was never all that upset about his death. Mostly because in the books it is strongly and repeatedly emphasized how bad Yoren smelled and how he had fleas. He grossed me out you guys.
They also seem to be heavily contracting a few things into one thing (which I agree with for the sake of brevity and how it isn’t really necessary since the end result is the same) except that I’m worried about the Mountain’s men and the Lannister men getting all mixed together. Were these the Lannister soldiers? Were they the outlaws? Will that distinction matter in terms of the show? I’m hoping for a bit more explanation in the next episode because where Arya and Gendry end up is extremely related to the group of men that just captured them at the end of the episode and I’m not sure shoving all the motivations into one pot will make it easier to understand.
And I just want to emphasize that the three guys in the cage – IMPORTANT GUYS. Also, horrible criminals. Probably. I could be lying. I lie all the time.
Elena: I am going to be so pleased if we have just met the Hannibal Lector of Westeros. Because that? Would be awesome. And hilarious. What happens when he meets the white walkers? Do they all just sit down and have a civilized meal of roasted Craster son?
Is Jon Snow there? Is he hiding behind a tree still trying to figure out what happens?
Hey, Jon Snow, don’t feel too bad for not figuring out the subtext everyone else picked up on the second they saw one man surrounded by 50 women…you still know where to put it.
Want more? Then check out the latest episode of Team More Wine Sir as we pour more wine and talk more about “What is Dead May Never Die”!
Horror connoisseurs Eli Roth and Brian McGreevy are creating a new series to be released exclusively on Netflix Instant. The new series, “Hemlock Grove” will premiere an entire 13-episode season for viewers to watch at their own convenience, or marathon on Netflix Streaming.
Due to the success of horror-based shows “The Walking Dead” and “American Horror Story”, other filmmakers are looking to capitalize on the genre’s budding mainstream popularity.
While some of these contenders (among them a revamp of “The Munsters”) are likely just jumping on the bandwagon, Roth and McGreevy hope to have created something unique.
Roth recently did an interview with the website, ShockTillYouDrop regarding his new television project:
If you do something well and you have an original take on something, then absolutely go for it.”
The series, based on McGreevy’s novel of the same name, has a dark and mysterious premise. The official synopsis describes it as:
The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A manhunt ensues—though the authorities aren’t sure if it’s a man they should be looking for. Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a foreboding biotech facility owned by the Godfrey family—their personal fortune and the local economy having moved on from Pittsburgh steel—where, if rumors are true, biological experiments of the most unethical kind take place. Others turn to Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable high school classmates that he’s a werewolf. Or perhaps it’s Roman, the son of the late JR Godfrey, who rules the adolescent social scene with the casual arrogance of a cold-blooded aristocrat, his superior status unquestioned despite his decidedly freakish sister, Shelley, whose monstrous medical conditions belie a sweet intelligence, and his otherworldly control freak of a mother, Olivia.
Roth went on to tell the site that the series will deal with the supernatural.
It’s actually a drama set in this world and has the themes of vampires and werewolves and monster mythology, Frankenstein mythology. It’s this new biotech world.”
Fans of Roth’s blood-and-guts style of direction need not worry about the show being toned down for television. Being a Netflix Original, Roth won’t have to worry about advertisers or ratings boards. He’ll be able to focus on content without having to censor himself, allowing for more mature subject matter.
That’s what I liked about it. That we could do something that was adult subject matter, and if we want to go dark and violent, we can. If we want to have the language, we can. We have the freedom to do something like it’s on cable… to go as R-rated or as NC-17 as we want. Where the teenagers could really behave like modern adolescents.”
While gore and shock value are crucial elements in Roth’s films, he said the story will be his top priority with “Hemlock Grove.”
We don’t want to make a show where you watch one episode and go, ‘Oh God, why did I see that?’ Roth said. “I want people to watch the show and go, ‘Holy fuck, I can’t believe what they did on Hemlock Grove. Did you see that transformation scene? That was awesome, I want to watch more.’ I think there’s a fine line between kicking an audience’s ass and making them feel like they’ve been kicked in the balls.”
On March 21, 2012, Netflix announced that “Hemlock Grove” will be coming to the instant streaming collection in early 2013.
AMC announced Wednesday that Robert Kirkman is adapting his newest graphic novel series, Thief of Thieves for the cable television network.
The Walking Dead writer/executive producer is working with Chic Eglee (Dexter, The Shield) and David Alpert (The Walking Dead) to develop the new show.
Kirkman, who still writes monthly issues of The Walking Dead, has released two issues of Thief of Thieves, each of which sold out on its respective release date.
The third issue was released on April 11th from Skybound/Image Comics.
Though The Walking Dead continues to break viewership records with its portrayal of the zombie apocalypse (the season two finale drew 9 million total viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter), viewers of Kirkman’s new show will notice a distinct lack of “walkers.”
Thief of Thieves, as its title suggests, is instead a heist story. The series is about Conrad Paulson, “the world’s greatest thief,” according to skybound.com.
He vows to steal only what’s already been stolen, in an effort to right the great wrongs of his life. But he may be too late for redemption.”
Kirkman said he hopes his adaptation will bring something new to television, just as The Walking Dead did.
Much like The Walking Dead brought horror to television in a unique and groundbreaking way, I feel Thief of Thieves can do the same thing for heist stories, showing the humanity of all the characters, including the criminals,” Kirkman said in an AMC release.
While the announcement has evoked much excitement from Kirkman’s fans, one question seems prevalent.
Will starting the show so early in the comic series compromise the quality or direction of the story?
Not much of the story will have been fleshed out, so characters and arcs could have to develop simultaneously. For most writers, this would seem a daunting task, but Kirkman’s track record suggests there is no need to worry.
Kirkman said he feels his work is in good hands at AMC, which adds to the success of his projects.
AMC recognizes the limitless ideas generated by the comic industry,” Kirkman said in a release. “Their dedication to bringing The Walking Dead to life as a TV show has been key to its success and I’m excited about the potential of Thief of Thieves to reach similar levels of success.”
While you were watching “Game of Thrones” last night (we all were) HBO debuted a new trailer for the upcoming season 4 of their (other) hit show, “True Blood.” While unfortunately there isn’t a new footage from season 5 in this trailer, we still get a great promo entitled, “Mistakes Vamps Make.”
Season 5 will include several new cast members such as Christopher Meloni, most know for working on “Law & Order: SVU.” Details on who his character will be has yet to be released. Also joining this season is Scott Foley as Patrick, one of Terry’s war buddies. Louis Herthum will join as JD, Alcide’s father and Kelly Overton will appear as Rikki, a werewolf curious about Marcus. It has also been revealed that Carolyn Hennesy will play Rosalyn Harris, a texas vampire thrown into the mix.
Alan Ball has cast the reoccurring role of Alexander Drew for the upcoming season 5, a Chancellor of the vaunted Vampire Authority.
“True Blood” is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris. The novels follows the world as the existence of vampires are revealed and the two groups of humanity struggle to co-exist around the world. The novels focus primarily on the town of Bon Temps, a small town in Louisiana and the life of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse.
I am pretty excited for the new season, it has been to long since I had “True Blood” in my life, I almost considered reading the series over winter break.
Season 5 of “True Blood” premieres on Sunday, June 10th.
Elena: What was so fucked up about the last 15 minutes that got you all riled on Twitter?
Rachel: Right, so to explain without being spoilery – I went to bat for this show’s last episode saying that it could end up being better than the books, and this week the show reminded me why that will never happen. I get that everything needs to be simplified, but I feel like they are writing to the lowest common denominator. I.e., We gotta write boobs and we gotta take out anything that requires brain cells to understand. This oversimplification results in scenes like the one between Stannis and Melisandre. A complicated and by no means confirmed suspicion of Davos’ in the novels becomes a hypocritical sex scene, and I don’t think it’s good writing.
Lots of fans think Melisandre and Stannis are lovers. Fine. It’s up for interpretation, so any opinion is valid. But Stannis goes to great lengths to prove to people that he is not a hypocrite and simple seduction is NOT at the heart of that relationship. No WAY is that all there is to it. Stannis does things because they are right, and he does what needs to be done to keep the right way. Seduction should not work on the Lobster King. If he is seduced it’s not because of Melisandre’s boobs and CERTAINLY not because she can give him a son. Stannis would not be interested in a bastard son. He just WOULDN’T. So that entire scene was dumb. And humph.
Elena: Speaking of boobs…Any thoughts on the Ros/Littlefinger scene as it relates to the exposition of his character on screen vs in the book?
Rachel: Well, Ros isn’t in the books. Didn’t you know that? You know that. She’s entirely made up. So Ros exists entirely as a tool of exposition. Mostly for Littlefinger at this point. In the books we know Littlefinger is sly because everyone says so. The show feels the need to actually give us examples of his cunning and wit. So it lulls us repeatedly into thinking he’s a decent person and then BAM – reminds us that he is the person you should trust the least. Poor Ros. If I were her I would tread carefully. Littlefinger talks to her too much and we know he regards knowledge as power.
She also exists for boobs.
Elena: On to happier subjects! What did you think of Yarra Asha? I know you heart her so…did they do her justice?
Rachel: Dude, (can I call y’all ‘Dude’?) Asha was AWESOME! Gemma Whelan even had the walk down. She’s snarky, confident, cool, she’s got leather pants! Can’t wait to see her throw an axe around!
The people who are all up in arms about how Asha “isn’t hot enough” should really re-examine how they interact with society. Asha is plenty hot and Gemma’s costume and makeup is appropriate for the character. Asha the character isn’t alluring or desirable because her face is pleasantly symmetrical and she wears eyeliner and boob hoisters – it’s because she’s a warrior woman who gives orders and splits heads. She’s always got something smart ass to say (Greyjoy trait), and to compare her to Melisandre – she’s also a woman of agency. It’s not about getting married or protecting her children or even her “maidenhood” (Asha would make a dirty joke here). It’s about paying the iron price. Done.
Haters to the Wall!
PS – does everyone else think that the Greyjoy armor is going to be the best armor out of all the armor?
What is your opinion on the Greyjoys so far?
Elena: They are…not what I expected. I don’t know what I did expect. Something more like Baratheons on the Sea, perhaps? Even knowing that the father rebelled and all that did not prepare me for meeting them. I am FASCINATED by their family ethos. They are like…House Pirate. Or maybe House Honey Badger (the Honey Badger doesn’t give a shit. It takes what it wants! Oh, it’s eating grubs? That’s nasty—but it’s hungry! Honey Badger doesn’t give a fuck).
I just…I loved the iron price. I loved him calling Theon a nancy boy. I loved Balon’s point about “I am not going to let someone put a crown on my head, I’ll win it for myself.” And Yarra Asha was awesome! She’s the first woman we’ve seen who is grabbing power and influence on the strength of her own self rather than her family. I mean, yes, she is a Greyjoy and all the brothers are gone, but instead of letting the house fall into despair or pin its hopes on Theon she has stepped into that void and made the fact of her sex irrelevant.
Also…what happened to Theon? He didn’t turn out a proper Stark or a proper Greyjoy. He just fails on all levels. And he looks like a terrible lay. Theon…the Theta Chi president of Westeros.
And, yes, their armor is going to be AWESOME.
Rachel: Tyrion is in top form but I’m not sure how wise it is to challenge Varys, what do you think?
Elena: Is Tyrion challenging him? Or just telling him to tread lightly? Sometimes a display of power is all you need to make diplomacy look a little more viable…I took it as Tyrion saying, “don’t fuck with me because I can and will do something about it.” Which is a little different from saying, hey Varys, I’m going to replace you as spymaster. I mean, I guess since no one knows Varys’ game anything that interferes with what he wants to do—which could easily be a hand of strong will and intelligence and at least some treachery, like Tyrion—might be a challenge to him, but I took it more as Varys and Tyrion feeling out each other rather than an actual challenge.
Tyrion’s Axiom of the Week: I’m not Ned Stark. I understand how this game is played.
Rachel: Gendry and Arya should get their own books/series, agree?
Elena: They would make an excellent sword and sorcery type adventuring pair. They definitely need to just say fuck Westeros and sail off into the wide blue yonder. As far as we know this planet isn’t Waterworld, so, you know, there’s other continents out there. And obviously Salador Saan does just fine as a pirate, so that’s always an option. I would read that, especially if it had the promise implicit in all non-GRRM/GRRM-derived fantasy that the main characters won’t fucking die. But, yeah, the two of them were hilarious together! And hilarious with the other parts of the To The Wall Contingent. So maybe the going off alone doesn’t actually work.
Anyway, Gendry surprised me. I expected him to be…dumb. Yes, I have that academic-nerd prejudice about jocks, and I assumed something about a blacksmith apprentice. He’s not dumb. He may not be edumucated, but he’s well spoken and funny and insightful. I look forward to more Gendry.
Also I hope Yoren continues to be such a badass protectorate if Joffrey’s minions come back.
(And speaking of Joffrey: hahahahaha I totally called that it was him and not Cersei behind the dead babies! I win!)
What did you think of Hotpie and friends?
Rachel: Hotpie looks exactly like how I pictured him in my head, and Lommy Greenhands ACTUALLY HAD GREEN HANDS, ELENA! Give that costume design team an Emmy. Just do it. DO IT FOR LOMMY!
We’ve also got Rorge, Biter and Jaqen H’ghar! And I actually can’t say a damn thing about them without spoiling you so let’ s just say they are criminals. Which was obvious. I liked ’em!
Sam’s plan to save Gilly is hilariously bad—how do you feel about what is shaping up north of the wall?
Elena: Sam is so easily manipulated by the first girl person who calls him brave. I would say I am surprised he’s behaving this way, considering what his father did to him, but part of it is probably his projecting what he would have liked someone to do for him (step in and save him/help him), and part of it is that maybe he realizes her father treats her even more shittily than his father treated him.
But the plan was just…stupid. Has Sam like….never actually seen a pregnant woman? Because I don’t think that’s going to work out too well on a march across the frozen north.
As a side note: did Sam read romance novels or something? Given that he’s said he’s read about sex and birthing babies? What kind of library did his father have?
Also…what the fuuuuuck are they doing still at Craster’s? Did they have to rebuild his hold in exchange for a night’s shelter? NOT WORTH IT.
Rachel: Ah, yes. Camping with Craster. That is what I call all the bullshit filler in tv/novels/movies from now on. BECAUSE WHY ARE THEY STILL CAMPING AT CRASTER’S? This isn’t the first time the show has struggled with the passage of time, but even if you haven’t read the books it is weird. In the last episode the Lord Commander said they wouldn’t be staying long, and Theon is journeying, and Arya and Gendry are journeying, and Dany is dying in the wilderness so we know at least a few weeks have gone by! Except in the North where time … passes more slowly because time is very cold.
I guess in editing they decided they didn’t want to really move the Jon Snow plot line until later in the season so they would just…keep them camping at Craster’s.
Which sounds kind of like a terrible local access television show about….
Nevermind.
Rachel: It’s also really sad that Live-Action Aladdin died. Let’s have a moment of silence for Rakharo.
Want more? Then check out the latest episode of Team More Wine Sir as we pour more wine and talk more about “The Nightlands”!
Rebecca (Sarah Bolger), is a young girl who, haunted by her father’s suicide, enrolls in an elite boarding school for girls. Before long, Rebecca’s friendship with the popular Lucy (Sarah Gadon) is shattered by the arrival of a dark and mysterious new student named Ernessa (Lily Cole). Lucy falls under Ernessa’s spell and becomes emotionally and physically consumed by her glamorous new friend. Rebecca, whose overtures of concern are rejected by Lucy, finds herself lost and confused. She begins to develop a crush on her handsome English teacher, Mr. Davies (Scott Speedman) and immerses herself in the Gothic vampire novel Carilla for his class. Rebecca starts to suspect that Ernessa is a vampire, but, despite the suspicious deaths that begin to occur, her fears are treated as simple girlish jealousy. As the bodies of young girls pile up and the line between reality and the supernatural starts to blur, Rebecca decides to take matters into her own hands and get rid of Ernessa.
Cast: Lily Cole, Sarah Gadon, Sarah Bolger, Scott Speedman, Judy Parfitt
Director: Mary Harron
Based on a novel by the same name by Rachel Klein.
Think Like a Man
Rated: PG-13
Think Like a Man follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.
Cast: Steve Harvey, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson
Director: Tim Story
Based on Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.
Friday, April 27
The Raven
Rated: R
The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve, She’s Out of My League) becomes the next target. Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven also stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).
Cast: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson, Alice Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Director: James McTeigue
Based on the stories written by Edgar Allen Poe
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Rated: PG
Accompanied by his ragtag crew, an enthusiastic pirate captain (Hugh Grant) sails the high seas and dreams of besting his bitter rivals, Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), in a quest to win the coveted title of Pirate of the Year. The captain’s quest takes him and his comrades from the exotic shores of Blood Island to Victorian London’s foggy streets. Along the way, they battle an evil queen (Imelda Staunton) and join forces with a young scientist (David Tennant).
Cast: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton
Director: Peter Lord
The film is based on the first two books from Gideon Defoe’s The Pirates! series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling.
